Microsoft pledges SQL Server 2000 by the end of September

MS still mum on shipping dates for other Server 2000 products.

Microsoft has boxed up and sent SQL Server 2000 to manufacturing. The next generation version of its database is expected to formally launch on September 26th, said Jeff Ressler, lead SQL product manager with the Redmond-based software giant.

However, Ressler was unable to confirm when Microsoft would take similar steps with the other server products.

Speaking to ACN last month, Gartner Group analyst, John Enck was sceptical as to whether Microsoft could ship all seven products before the end of year — the unofficial deadline for getting the Server 2000 products out of the door.

Lack of Focus

“The probability of some of these products slipping until next year is very good, Microsoft is very distracted right now you get the sense that [it isn’t] 100% focused on everything and I’m sure that we’ll see the implications of that,” said Enck.

However, Enck doesn’t believe that the delay to Microsoft’s shipping plans will have a significant impact.

Indeed it could buy Microsoft time to build support within its own developer core and allow enterprise customers time to plan for the forthcoming tidal wave of products.

The current version of SQL, version 7.0, was released in November 1998.

New features for 2000 include Web-enabled design, including XML and HTTP capability, new scalability and reliability features, and Distributing Partitioned Views.

The latter allows database administrators to share a database's load across multiple machines instead of relying on boosting a single server every time capacity is increased, said Ressler.

Microsoft executives said they expect more than 100 enterprise customers will be going live on SQL Server 2000 over the next three months as part of the company's Rapid Deployment Program.